Who was going to tell Alberto Cifuentes when, now 34, he decided that he did not need the services of a representative to manage the end of his career. Who was going to tell him then that, seven seasons later, 41 years old in May, not only would he still be active but he would also be celebrating a promotion to the First Division, as the starting goalkeeper and captain of this historic Cádiz. Who would have told him that, with a current contract, he was going to be planted under his nose with the possibility of finally making his debut in the highest category after a lifetime between Second and Second B.

Who was going to tell him, in short, that the best moment of his sports career was going to be over forty, when most footballers have long been away from the playing fields. In fact, he himself thought about doing it five seasons ago, after playing a year in Poland, but then Cádiz called him to the ranks and everything changed for this Albacete who debuted in Segunda, with the team from his city, on 15 November 1998, still in the last century.

Cifuentes is, with 13 months of advantage, the most veteran player in Spanish professional soccer. In Primera, already retired Aduriz (39 years old), the record is now held by the bético Joaquín (38). In Second, he is followed by the Elche Nino striker , a historic man who turned 40 in June. She also celebrated her 39th birthday, Rubén Castro , now at UD Las Palmas.

«I don't feel like a reference in the locker room. There are colleagues who train very well and I look at them. Sometimes I may seem like a nagging father, although I always try to be fair and honest, I never lie and I always say things, "explained the doorman a month and a half ago in an interview with Diario de Cádiz. Cifuentes is not only the goalkeeper of Cádiz who has risen to First, also the second least scored in the category after Munir (Malaga). Two courses ago, he won the Zamora Trophy despite the fact that the team from Cádiz finished in ninth place in the table.

Cádiz has been, in short, the place where he has found professional success. He arrived at Carranza in 2015, with the team still in the Segunda B well, where he had been trapped for six seasons. That same year came the promotion to Second, already with Álvaro Cervera on the bench since the last matches of that season.

The Cervera-Cifuentes pairing has remained unchanged during these four stabilization courses in Cádiz in Segunda, culminating in its return to Primera 15 years later. During this four-year period, the goalkeeper has only missed five games. In total, he has more than 200 at the Carranza club and aims to expand that number in First Division. He was a couple of years as Mallorca's third goalkeeper in the top flight, but did not have the opportunity to debut. Now, renewed last September until 2021, it is about to fulfill the dream of any child who wants to be a footballer.

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